Thanks, Papa!

Needless to say, Pope Benedict XVI's visit was a huge shot in the arm for AmP's readership numbers. The blog was featured on the Today Show and MSNBC.com, and I was able to do interviews with CNN, BBC World News and Our Sunday Visitor. AmP was also recommended as a "go to" blog for papal coverage by countless blogs and websites.

Thank you for the trust.

Hopefully people were able to find out more about our beloved Holy Father. After all, he's why I'm here.

As a result of all this exposure, some AmP numbers for you, in case you find these things interesting:

• Bloglines subscribers are up to 160.
• Almost 400 subscribers through Google Reader.
• Over 23,000 picture views recorded on Flickr.
• AmP's YouTube videos have been watched almost 17,000 times, with 46 subscribers.
• The official AmP Facebook page has almost 350 members now.
• In the last week, well over 40,000 visits and 100,000 pages viewed.

... and a couple folks even dropped a little something in the Paypal donation box. Thank you!

And please remember, following Pope Benedict XVI is a year-round gig around here - so stick around!

Suffering from Papal withdrawal?

I am.

I'm also rather exhausted by these last five days. I can only imagine how happy Pope Benedict is to be finally going home. I mean, he has almost 60 years on me. And what's around-the-clock coverage and a few interviews when compared to the schedule he had? Not much, really.

(Gosh, I already miss him.)

That said, I don't want to lose the momentum. I will, however, probably allow a few days to slip by before I try to glean what the "consensus" is following his visit. In the interim, AmP will be returning to its normal wide coverage of things Catholic, plus I'll be drafting a reflection piece on what the pope's visit means, now that he is gone.

(I wonder if anyone wants to publish it? Drop me a line.)

Also, I'd love to hear what you thought about the visit. Favorite moment? Favorite line? Did you see him? What was good? What was bad? Did the media behave? Did the pope exceed your expectations? Disappoint?

There's plenty to discuss, so go for it!

Photo Caption Call - 4/20/08 (My 3000th post!)

[For today's blog topics, click here.]

[Credit: REUTERS/Mike Segar]

As I've said in many recent interviews, I expected to publish my 3,000th post during Pope Benedict XVI's visit.

Well, here we are. See you at 4,000!

Papal Mass in Yankee Stadium beginning now

The pope's final public appearance - celebrating Mass at Yankee Stadium in NYC - is beginning now.

I would recommend watching it on the USCCB's papal visit site: http://www.uspapalvisit.org

A youth's first-hand account of the papal youth rally

This sent to me last night by an overjoyed Megan B., of Hyde Park, New York:

"Hello! I’m a long time reader of your blog and I wanted to give you some more details on the papal youth rally, which I was able to attend today.

First of all, it was absolutely amazing. It was like a giant 4th of July fireworks event, or county fair (including long lines for food!)

One of the things they didn’t show on TV (I don’t know if they mentioned it) was that there was also a prayer chapel and confessions available. The prayer chapel was a white tent with a gold tabernacle, a life-sized crucifix and big picture of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All day they had prayer services like meditations, songs, the rosary, and dance. I was with a group that did two prayer services, and people just kept coming in and out to pray.

Also, I’ve never been to a world youth day, so this is the most brothers, sisters and priests I’ve seen in one place! There were tons of priests/seminarians in cassocks everywhere. I also saw the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Sisters of Life, Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist (from Michigan!) and Mother Theresa’s sisters, the Sisters of Charity. I saw regular Franciscans, and also Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, including…Fr. Benedict Groschel! He passed by my area in a wheelchair; it looked like he was going to the VIP section.

It was also so amazing to see everyone’s shirts. Almost all the schools/parishes had personalized shirts. Some had the Christ our Hope logo, and the year and their parish name, there were jersey style “Benedict 16” shirts, I "heart" B16 (styled after the I love NY logo), “I’d rather be studying theology,” “I love Jesuits.” It was amazing. It really made you realize how many people there are that love their faith.

Besides the marriage vocation video, they also showed a clip of “God in the Streets of New York” by Grassroots Films. They also showed an interview with a friend of mine, sharing an experience of living the Gospel in daily life, specifically through sports.

Overall, the vibe was really great. The MCs were good, and they kept dangling Kelly Clarkson in front of the audience, but honestly, I think all the other Christian artists did a better job of psyching people up. What better way to prepare for seeing the pope than singing “Jesus Freak” with TobyMac, or the Apostle’s Creed with Third Day or “Here I am Lord” with Matt Mahr. The last one was the only song that everyone sang along with.

Once the pope arrived, we all just couldn’t stop cheering. I think we ran overtime because of that. The seminarians were the worst—I don’t know if you could tell, but the pope actually stopped at one point to let them finish the song they were singing—I think it was a Gregorian chant. The pope was definitely happy to be there.

Also, everyone got a good bag with:

• a bottle of water
• emergency poncho (which we used to sit on, since there was no rain)
• a white or yellow bandana (you can see them in the pictures)
• a 2-for-1 admission pass t the Cathoics in New York dispay at the museaum of the City of New Yorka prayer card for the pope's visit
• a "Come Follow Me" vocation prayer carda brochure and card about vocations to the priesthood
• the program book, which had the songs that were song with the pope, including "Happy Birthday" in German (you didn't think we all knew that, did you?)"

Thanks, Megan, for your wonderful account!

Pictures: Pope Benedict Prays at Ground Zero

Words below, but images first:

Read the Vatican's account of the pope's visit to Ground Zero, along with the text of his prayer, here.

Video: Kelly Clarkson performs for Pope Benedict

Here ya go (link updated):

Thoughts on Pope Benedict's Speech to Youth

Quotations and comments:

"I am most grateful to them all. Also, I wish to acknowledge your singing to me Happy Birthday! Thank you for this moving gesture; I give you all an "A plus" for your German pronunciation!"

Ha!

My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew - infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion - before it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good. Many of your grandparents and great-grandparents will have recounted the horror of the destruction that ensued. Indeed, some of them came to America precisely to escape such terror.

Pope Benedict is never afraid to use his own life and experience as an example to youth, good and bad.

The second area of darkness - that which affects the mind - often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations. I have already mentioned the many liberties which you are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundamental importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded. It is no surprise then that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda.

Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth's place - or better said its absence - an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a "freedom" which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ's very being for others (cf. Spe Salvi, 28).

A favorite theme of the Holy Father: our freedom is meant to lead us to happiness, but it is a delicate possession that must be closely guarded and fostered. Freedom is not an end in itself.

The pope now focuses four "essential aspects of faith":

1. personal prayer and silence
2. liturgical prayer
3. charity in action
4. vocations (not just to the priesthood - to the married life as well)

In detail (my abbreviated quotations from the Holy Father's text):

1. What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer....Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness.

2. Whenever you gather for Mass, when you go to Confession, whenever you celebrate any of the sacraments, Jesus is at work....Your faithful participation, is an active hope which helps to keep the world - saints and sinners alike - open to God; this is the truly human hope we offer everyone.

3. Contemplating Jesus on the Cross we see love in its most radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love along which we must move. The opportunities to make this journey are abundant. Look about you with Christ's eyes, listen with his ears, feel and think with his heart and mind. Are you ready to give all as he did for truth and justice?

4. Let us pray for mothers and fathers throughout the world, particularly those who may be struggling in any way - socially, materially, spiritually. Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations are given life.

To seminarians:

Gathered here at Saint Joseph Seminary, I greet the seminarians present and indeed encourage all seminarians throughout America. I am glad to know that your numbers are increasing! .... Dear seminarians, I pray for you daily. Remember that what counts before the Lord is to dwell in his love and to make his love shine forth for others.

His final paragraph:

Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church's liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ's disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free. With these sentiments of great hope in you I bid you farewell, until we meet again in Sydney this July for World Youth Day! And as a pledge of my love for you and your families, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing.

See you in Sydney (God willing)!

Liveblogging Pope Benedict's Youth Rally Remotely

*** The Live feed by the USCCB is here: http://www.uspapalvisit.org/ ***

6:30PM - Sorry to say that I must cease liveblogging at this point, but do continue to watch the feed!

5:55PM - We're watching five youths read the short biography of American saints, and meet the Holy Father.

5:40PM - A wonderful line from Cardinal Egan: "Here before you, Holy Father, is the hope of the Church in America!"

5:31PM - I can't believe it. He walked all the way down the "catwalk" platform to shake hands!

5:30PM - I've lost track of how long they've been cheering. Something rediculous like 6-7 minutes?!

5:24PM - He's taken the stage. One of the happiest I've seen him. He hasn't sat down yet.

5:15PM - Waiting to leave, he rolled the window down and continues to greet the youth.

5:13PM - Before getting in the popemobile, the pope made a run for the barrier and said hi!

4:59PM - He's leaving down the center aisle now. Blessing children like crazy. Seeking them out sometimes.

4:54pm - The pope is addressing the assembled youth with disabilities. It is actually a planned speech, and not "off the cuff" as the USCCB commentator's surmised. His speech gains force because you can here in the background some of the children, and see their parents caring for them.

4:47PM - The archdiocesan deaf choir is singing along with a hymn for the Holy Father.

4:46PM - Pope Benedict is receiving gifts from children. Super cute. He's all smiles.

4:29PM - Oh, and I just have to mention that in this lengthy promo video I appear TWICE! :-D

4:22PM - They're rolling a video promo for the next in World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. Contrary to what the commentators said - it's happening this summer (2008), not next summer.

4:20PM - Colleen Carroll Campbell has an excellent piece on what Catholic youth see in Pope Benedict, and what he expects of them. One of the best treatments I've read recently.

4:15PM - The commentators have been saying some helpful things. We're basically just waiting for the pope. I just read the pope's speech in advance - it's going to be great! Stay tuned to see if he adapts the text....

4:00PM - Here's an interesting move. They are playing a lengthy video about Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and her husband as an example of marriage. Pope Benedict has already spoke often about the importance of teaching young people about the full reality of marriage.

3:58PM - And that's it. She's gone. :-)

3:55PM - Back to familiar territory - Since You've Been Gone.

3:50PM - Kelly's taken the stage. Walk Away is her first song. Second one is a "more spiritual song" by the name of Up to the Mountain.

3:45PM - Kelly Clarkson is about to go on. I wonder what her selections will be?!

3:35PM - A few links:

• "Holy Father expected to address vocations in seminary in Yonkers" (CNA)
• "Warming up the crowd for the Pope" (OSV's Papal visit blog)
• "Grinding for God: Pope to get 'official papal skateboard' from youths" (CNS)

3:25PM - Three Graces have taken the stage. Opera, Pop and Broadway music. Nice combination.

3:15PM - Just caught the end of Fr. Stan Fortuna's set. I heard him perform a couple times at World Youth Day 2005 in Germany, and got to meet him. Cool dude. Here's one of his songs on YouTube.

Quotable Benedict: On Academic Freedom, and Heterodox Teaching

In Pope Benedict's address to Catholic educators delivered yesterday, he succintly framed the questions about (and implied the answers to) some basic issues which seem to continually escape the erudite academic community here in the United States:

In regard to faculty members at Catholic colleges universities, I wish to reaffirm the great value of academic freedom. In virtue of this freedom you are called to search for the truth wherever careful analysis of evidence leads you. Yet it is also the case that any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission; a mission at the heart of the Church’s munus docendi and not somehow autonomous or independent of it.

In the grand spirit of recent academic scholarship, let me provide some Cliffs Notes:

• Academic freedom is a good, as long as it honestly examines the evidence at hand
• Academic freedom is not a free "get out of jail" card, in fact it can put you in the doghouse of relativism and "novelty for novelty's sake" when it becomes the sole measure of academic merit
• To falsely justify "positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the Church" is in fact a betrayal of a Catholic university's fundamental identity and mission.

For anyone cramming for the future final exam, I hope they put these bullet points on their quicksheet.

And if you're wondering about the duty of Catholic educators to provide a faithful witness to the world, try counting the number of times the pope uses the word "witness" in this address.

I'll give you a hint - the answer is eleven.

The pope's impassioned speech on global warming ... that wasn't

British tabloids and other less-than-reputable news organizations claimed last year, early in the papal visit planning process, that Pope Benedict would use his speech at the United Nations to "deliver a powerful warning over climate change." At the time of these rumors, I published a lengthy rebuttal of their accuracy and likelihood.

It's worth repeating some of the claims that were circulated:

The Pope is expected to use his first address to the United Nations to deliver a powerful warning over climate change in a move to adopt protection of the environment as a "moral" cause for the Catholic Church and its billion-strong following....

....It will act as the centrepiece of a US visit scheduled for next April – the first by Benedict XVI, and the first Papal visit since 1999 – and round off an environmental blitz at the Vatican, in which the Pope has personally led moves to emphasise green issues based on the belief that climate change is affecting the poorest people on the planet, and the principle that believers have a duty to "protect creation".

Today, now that the speech has been delivered and made available, I went looking for the pope's "centrepiece" to complete the Vatican's "environmental blitz" making it a "moral cause for the Catholic Church." This is what I found:

"....questions of security, development goals, reduction of local and global inequalities, protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate, require all international leaders to act jointly and to show a readiness to work in good faith, respecting the law, and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the planet. I am thinking especially of those countries in Africa and other parts of the world which remain on the margins of authentic integral development, and are therefore at risk of experiencing only the negative effects of globalization."

"... international action to preserve the environment and to protect various forms of life on earth must not only guarantee a rational use of technology and science, but must also rediscover the authentic image of creation. This never requires a choice to be made between science and ethics: rather it is a question of adopting a scientific method that is truly respectful of ethical imperatives."

Note what the pope is actually worried about: environmental and climate protection are one among many moral imperatives facing the international community, with his eye especially on regions of Africa that suffer underdevelopment (as opposed to the "overdevelopment" of industrialized nations).

Furthermore, this entire project must possess a "rational use of technology and science, but must also rediscover the authentic image of creation", which necessarily implies a union of "science and ethics." The authentic image of creation which the Church reveals is always connected to the idea that creation is meant to serve the human person, who receives the fruits of creation as a reward for his labor.

Of course, abuses of the environment, which may have ill-effects on the climate, are against the image of creation, but this is so because the ultimate meaning of creation is tied up with the image of man who is the steward and custodian of creation. That's why the pope talks about "ethics," because it is only human persons who are bound to act "ethically" and see that their actions do not impinge upon the rights of the global community.

If the UK tabloids were looking for their "moral cause" - they've found it: preservation of the image of creation by those who are made in the image of God on behalf of those made in the image of God. People first!

Papal Security Sweep Saves Life of Area Beaver

An unexpected good consequence of the papal visit to the United Nations:

The NYPD's Harbor Unit, patrolling the East River near the United Nations as a part of security operations for the Pope's visit, rescued an apparently sick beaver from the water.

The ever-vigilant harbor cops spotted the animal, which appeared to be having trouble breathing and struggled to swim, not far from the U.N., where the Pope was speaking.

pulled it aboard, and placed it in a bucket with water. Officers brought the beaver to shore for transport to an animal hospital.

They did not say if they considered the animal to be a security risk.

But "it has pretty big claws," said Lt. John Harkins of the NYPD SCUBA Unit. He indicated the beaver was four feet long and about 40 pounds.

No word if the beaver was trying to get a closer look at the Pope. (FOX NY)

The beaver might have been sub-contracted to fell trees as part of the papal altar fabrication process for the Yankee Stadium Mass. More on this developing story as it appears....

Kelly Clarkson will sing for Pope Benedict

A little bird told me that Kelly Clarkson, pop superstar, will perform Franz Schubert's version of the Ave Maria towards the end of the Gathering with Youth and Seminarians program at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, with Pope Benedict XVI in attendance.

No word yet if the performance will subsequently be released as a single. ;-)

I'll be on CNN this Saturday morning at 11:30

I just got off the phone with one of the producers for CNN. It looks like I'll be appearing on their NewsRoom tomorrow morning at about 11:30AM to discuss the pope's visit and Catholic blogging.

It goes without saying, you're more than welcome to tune in!

Video: Bush praises Pope today

At the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast:



His full speech is actually quite lengthy, and viewable here.

Pictures: Pope Benedict XVI Day Four (United Nations)

The best of the photostream (which contains hundreds of new images each day)....

What a wide variety of situations the Holy Father is encountering!

Awesome Picture: Pope Benedict Descends From Helicopter

Remember, he is a head of state.

[source: REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Pool (UNITED STATES)]

Pope leaves 46,000 happy (and sunburned!) Catholics

Since I haven't seen anyone else mention this yet....

In the wake of Pope Benedict's public Mass at the Washington National's Stadium yesterday, well, let's just say it's as obvious as the ruddy, sunburnt glow on your face whether or not you were in attendance (at least for fair-skinned individuals like me).

In fact, the Pope brought with him the temperate Mediterranean climate and clear skies, which chased away the rain showers and general dreariness that had been pervading DC up until the day before his arrival.

While it wasn't particularly hot, everyone had to be in the stadium by 8:30 am, and the Mass didn't end until almost 12:30 pm. Luckily there were plenty of volunteers handing out water. Most folks managed to improvise make-shift hats. But you had to sympathize with the numerous vested clergy as well as the seminarians in their black clericals. Plus the aluminum flooring they placed on the field served as very efficient double-sided quick-tan setup.

And of course, Pope Benedict had more layers than probably anyone else in the stadium, but he was in the shade most of the time. Actually, by the time he was ready to leave a brisk breeze was blowing. How convenient.

If you want to see how my skin fared, it's looking like you'll have that chance tomorrow in the late morning on CNN, presuming my plans for an appearance on that network work out. So stay tuned, I'll have an update soon!

Text of Pope Benedict's address to the United Nations

It will go up here as soon as Pope Benedict finishes delivering it and the media embargo is lifted.

update: Here is the full text of the Holy Father's speech.

A standing ovation from the assembly after his presentation, and kind words from the officials.

Day 4: Pope to NYC, and U.N. Address

He's off to NYC:

In these three days I'll be shifting from first-person pictures and video to my regular coverage and commentary.

Notable items on the papal agenda today:

• 10:30 a.m. - The Holy Father Addresses the United Nations
• 6:00 p.m. - Ecumenical Prayer Service with Holy Father

Live video feeds online from the USCCB and EWTN.

[photo source: (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)]